The bullfinch is a very nice pet; he becomes so attached to his owner, and will not bestow his affection indiscriminately, so that he repays one for any attention given him. He is subject to fits of jealousy, however; and I have known birds who would take a violent dislike to any friends of their mistress upon whom they thought some of the affection due to themselves was bestowed. Some have died of grief when separated from those who petted and fed them, and who had won their faithful little hearts completely. They are happy in confinement, if not made ill by improper food, as they are not very active birds. They should have no sweets or injurious delicacies, but be fed upon rape and canary-seed, with an occasional treat of hemp-seed, water-cress, lettuce, and chickweed and groundsel. If they mope and ruffle their plumage, they should be fed only upon scalded rape-seed for a few days. When moulting, they require a little hard egg and breadcrumbs, and a rusty nail or a clove in their drinking-water. They like a little bit of apple and a few berries occasionally.

In gardens they are supposed to do a great deal of mischief by eating the young buds and fruit; but it is doubtful whether the good they do by eating the insects upon them is not more than the destruction they are accused of. Their natural song is not musical, but they may be taught to whistle or "pipe" airs very accurately. The Germans take great pains in the teaching of their young bullfinches. They divide them into classes of five or six pupils, and they are kept much in the dark, and the tunes they are to learn are repeated over and over again to them while they are fed. By degrees light is admitted, and after a time the birds are taken out of the class, one by one, and given into the charge of a boy, whose duty it is to repeat the tunes on a bird-organ from morning to night, till the bird acquires them perfectly, when a large price will be paid for him. Some bird teachers keep their pupils fasting while they learn their lessons, and only feed them as a reward; but I believe the best and most humane plan is to repeat the airs to them while they are digesting their food; and if they are taught by good whistling instead of by a bird-organ, they generally pipe in a pleasanter and more flute-like manner.

Bullfinches that can pipe three or four distinct airs correctly are highly prized, and 4/. or 5/., or even more, will be paid for them. It is, however, as well to suggest that there may be disappointment in store for their purchasers, for the birds are often apt to forget their accomplishments while they are moulting, and they ought to have the airs frequently repeated to them during this time of silence, and when they are beginning to use their voices again.

Bullfinch.

The bullfinch can be taught to perform many amusing tricks, such as drawing up water in a bucket from a little well underneath his cage, and the more difficult feat of pumping it up to fill his bath; but although intelligent and docile enough to leam these, such accomplishments do not appear to suit him so well as the active, restless little goldfinch, who is scarcely still a minute in the day, and seems to want something to do to fill up his time in confinement.